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ZDNET's key takeaways
Canonical lets you pick and choose how you'll use AI.
In Ubuntu, AI is built into key features and optional AI tools.
While Microsoft is about control, Canonical puts you in charge.
In a new blog post, Jon Seager, Canonical's VP of engineering for Ubuntu, explained how the company is baking AI into its Linux desktop and server experience in Ubuntu Linux 26.04 and beyond. Unlike Windows, where Microsoft is slapping its Copilot label on everything, Canonical cooks AI into its Linux distro on open terms: open models where possible, local inference by default, and no rebranding of the distro into an AI product.
Seager explained that Canonical is "ramping up its use of AI tools in a focused and principled manner." That approach means a clear preference for open‑weight models whose license terms align with Ubuntu's long‑standing open‑source values, coupled with open‑source harnesses and tooling. The Canonical developer teams are encouraged to adopt the tools that make sense for them, as long as they choose a single tool consistently at the team level.
Also: Built for a hostile internet: Canonical VP of Engineering on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
He stressed that Ubuntu is not being repositioned as an AI product, but that "thoughtful AI integration" will make the operating system more capable and efficient for people who already rely on it. Internally, Canonical plans to educate its engineers on where AI genuinely adds value, and to avoid crude metrics like "how much AI did you use," focusing instead on quality, control, and reviewability of AI‑assisted work.
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